Bed bugs can be a real nuisance. These tiny insects, which feed only on blood, can make their homes in furnishings (especially beds – hence their name) where they bite people to eat their blood. As well as the idea of sharing your bed with hundreds of insects and their eggs being pretty gross, the bites can cause nasty rashes on some people, and infestations almost always need to be combated with professional pest control.

Here we take a look at what bed bugs behave like, how you can end up with them in the first place, and what you need to do if you are infested:

Can You See Bed Bugs?

Some people get the idea of bed bugs confused with dust mites, another kind of small creature that can live in your furniture, however while dust mites can be almost impossible to spot with the naked eye, bed bugs are not. However, because they are most active late at night (their main ‘busy hours’ are between 10pm and 6am), and their eggs are extremely small, not everyone who has an infestation finds out by spotting the bed bugs themselves. Instead, it is more usual that people are alerted because they find bites on their bodies, and go in search of the insects as a result.

How Do Bed Bugs Get Into Your Home?

Because bed bugs like to live in warm places where there is some fabric, they can live in all kinds of upholstery and can be transported on clothes. If you go to a place where there are bed bugs, for example a hotel, a friend’s house, or even somewhere like a movie theatre where they might be living in the chairs, you may unwittingly bring home enough creatures on your clothing or in bags and luggage to allow them to breed in your home. Equally, if you buy second hand furnishings these could carry bed bugs. In rarer cases, they can come to you on animals, especially wild animals like birds and bats. Bed bugs have seen a huge resurgence in the Western world since around the mid nineties, having previously been all but eradicated. This means that there are more and more bugs being moved between locations, and so if you do notice any insects or their bites it is vital to take action rather than risking spreading them further.

How Do You Get Rid of Them?

Trying to rid yourself of bed bugs alone is very difficult, and it isn’t advisable to try using pesticides for this purpose without professional supervision. A bed bug exterminator will use the best suited pesticides for the job of wiping out your bed bugs, and will make sure it is safe before you are allowed to re-enter the property. Another technique that is often used in combination with pesticides is to suffocate the bugs by sealing things that may be infested like cushions, children’s stuffed toys and pillows in plastic so the bugs can’t breathe and die. If you have bed bugs, call a local pest control company and arrange extermination immediately.

Today’s contributor, Frank Coleman, loves the outdoors and likes to blog about his trekking adventures. He is employed with HomeHardwarePestControl.com, premium bed bug exterminator in Toronto.

The city of Las Vegas is home to many pests, and I’m not talking about all the smut peddlers that frequent the streets of The Strip. Scorpions, roaches, spiders, and ants are really easy to find; but have you ever tried to find them in a word search puzzle? The pest professionals at Bulwark Exterminating, who have a branch in Las Vegas, put together a fun social media piece… A pest word search puzzle.

Wanna see?

The Pest Word Search Puzzle

The word search puzzle that you see above, was shared on Facebook, and participants were asked to comment on the puzzle the first pest that they found. The results were quite interesting; and impressive. Some 12,500 plus participants took part.

Wanna know how the first pest you found stacked up to the other 12,500 plus participants? Well, look no further than the following infographic:

Pest Word Search Infographic

How’d You Fare On The Pest Test Puzzle?

After searching the pest test word search, and noting the first pest you found; then comparing it to the other participants, how’d you fare? Did you find all the pests listed, and a few non-pests? Was one of your greatest fears, i.e. scorpion or spider, one of the first pests you found?

Please feel free to comment the first pest you find below in the comments section.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs have gotten a lot of publicity lately. You want to keep them out of your house, but may not even be sure about what the actual bug looks like or, what a real bed bug bite looks like.

What Bed Bugs Look Like

To explain a bit about their appearance, Bed bugs generally look similar to seeds. They are relatively small in size and are flat. The problem with bed bugs is they go through many changes throughout their life and they look different at each stage of their life cycle. They also have a different appearance before a feeding as to after a feeding.

Reproduction of Bed Bugs

The first hatched bed bug is very small and almost clear in color. It is visible by the naked eye but is only about 1.5 mm long. That means, it is about the size and shape of a small seed from an apple. Once it feeds, the bug becomes swollen and turns a reddish color.

After it molts, it grows to about 2 mm long. A bed bug molts five times before reaching the adult stage. It slowly grows and slowly turns brown. An adult bed bug is about 5.5 mm long and is solid brown. A female bed bug has the capability of laying up one to five eggs day, which hatch only 7 to 10 days later. Female bedbugs can lay 500 eggs in their lifetime and considering their life span can only extend to up to 300 days, you can only imagine how quickly these pesky bugs multiply.

eaten alive (Photo credit: The Guncle)

Identifying Bed Bug Bites

Bed bug bites are small red bumps that have a tendency to itch. They are normally found in clusters or straight lines on the body. A large rash may develop, if there is a severe reaction to the bite. Bites can also become infected so it is important to keep bed bug bites clean to avoid any potential infections.

Even if you don’t have bed bugs bites, it is important to check your house for these pests. I recommend doing this because most people aren’t aware that they could have bed bugs even if they don’t have bites. This is because every person reacts a bit different when bitten by a bed bug. Plus, it is predicted that about thirty percent of people don’t show any reaction at all when bitten by a bed bug.

Common Places to Find these Bugs

Bed bugs like to hide out near their food, which is why they are most commonly found in mattresses and bedding. They have also been known to hide in closets and behind picture frames. They are small so any small cracks in walls, furniture or flooring make for a good home for bed bugs. They also like televisions, phones, and radios.

Getting rid of the bed bugs is not any easy task. The help of a bed bug control expert will be needed. The bed bug expert will be able to guide you through the process to make sure that the bed bugs are gone for good.

Article was written by Sarah Smith who encourages those living in or around Connecticut, contact Bed Bug Finders LLC at first sign of a possible bed bug infestation.

Last year some 40 million tourists flocked to Las Vegas for some fun and gambling in the desert. While most of these tourists are worried about not losing a fortune at the black jack table; there is another worry Las Vegas tourists should be concerned about—the blood sucking bedbugs.

If you happen to contract bedbugs from a Las Vegas hotel; or if you are a tenant or property manager battling a bedbug infestation; it’s important to know what the bedbug laws are in the State of Nevada.

Las Vegas Bedbugs

Bedbug infestations continue to rise across much of the United States, and the State of Nevada is not exempt form these tiny hitchhiking pests. Currently, the city of Las Vegas is the 46th ranked bedbug infested city in the country. While these numbers are drastically improved, down 30 spots from last year’s ranking, bedbugs are still a problem in the city.

Nevada Bedbug Laws

Currently, there are 22 States in the U.S. with bedbug laws. As of 3/2013, there are two bedbug laws in the books for the state of Nevada. With proposed bedbug legislation being brought to the table on a frequent basis, these laws can change. They are as follows:

Extermination– Nevada Revised Code 447.030

Any room in any hotel in Nevada that is infested with bedbugs shall be thoroughly fumigated, disinfected and renovated until such bedbugs are entirely exterminated.

Tenant-Landlord Rights & Obligations

Landlords and property owners have an obligation to provide safe and habitable accommodations for tenants. Bedbug infestations can be considered improper accommodations. Tenants have an obligation to cooperate with owners and landlords. This includes preparing the home so that the pest control operator can easily inspect the rooms and treat if necessary.

Hire A Bedbug Attorney

The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only, and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. These are the bedbug laws as of March 2013, and can change. If you feel that you have been a bedbug victim; whether landlord, tenant, or otherwise, please contact a licensed attorney who specializes in bedbug cases.

Bed bugs have become problematic throughout Canada. As more immigrants and tourists enter the country from places where these pests are common, bed bugs travel in with their luggage. They take up residence in many hotels and can spread to workplaces when visitors attend conferences or even visit a restaurant. Bed bugs can be found nearly anywhere. However, there are several places they commonly hide once they enter the home.

Finding Bed bug Infestations

Bed bugs often hide along the seams of mattresses. They can also be found under furniture or beds. Some people have found these pests hiding in corners, under rugs or along the edges of carpeted rooms. Some people also notice a musky scent near the site of a bed bug infestation. Many people notice several small red bumps on their skin, which often appear in a row. Although these could also be indicators of other types of bites or skin irritants, they are often bed bug bites when aligned in a neat row.

Exterminating Bed bug Populations

Although there are many home treatments and remedies available on the Internet, it is important to remember that not all products work simply because the site owner makes such claims. Bedbug removal has always been one of the most difficult processes. In decades past, some frustrated homeowners even burned their houses to the ground. However, treatments have improved since those days. The most effective method of completely eradicating these pests is to call a professional bed bug exterminator.

What Professional Bed Bug Exterminators Do

There are a variety of extermination methods used by pest control professionals. The products they use are much more effective than treatments purchased in stores. They use special application methods and have professional tools and devices. Some companies may use all-natural methods or chemical-free substances instead of the more powerful chemicals.

What To Look For In An Extermination Company

It is best to work with a company that has sufficient experience in bed bug removal. A good company will have a service guarantee, which means that customers will receive a refund if the treatments are ineffective. When speaking with an extermination company on the telephone, consumers should ask if treatments are designed specifically for bed bugs. If a company does not provide treatments specifically for this pest and does not offer a satisfaction guarantee, it is better to continue searching for exterminators. Most Canadian extermination companies that have storefronts are legitimate businesses with the proper credentials. Consumers should beware of individuals offering independent extermination services in newspapers or through advertisements. If the person does not represent an established company that can be contacted to verify employment, consumers should avoid such individuals. Reading online consumer reviews from unbiased third-party sites is also a wise idea.

While it is important to eradicate bed bugs as quickly as possible, Canadian consumers should also take the necessary time to hire a reliable exterminator. Hiring the wrong company or individual could be a costly mistake, and bed bug infestations only grow if they are not properly removed.

Featured images:

License: Royalty Free or iStocksource: depositphotos.com

Sandy Corriveau is a Canadian based blogger about all topics related to the home. When in need of pest control, she uses Heat-N-Go Pest Control. Heat-N-Go knows how to get rid of bed bugs safely and effectively.

What happens if you have a bed-bug infestation? Bed bugs in a home can bring about a number of health conditions, including allergies, skin rashes and even psychological effects. If bitten, you may experience symptoms on your skin such as itching and redness. Bed bugs feed on blood, usually that of animals, but they will move on to humans if it is the only blood available. Bed lice are attracted by carbon dioxide, warmth and certain chemicals and tend to live longer in colder temperatures.

How Do They Spread?

Your house can become infected with bed bugs for various reasons. They can be carried on other people’s clothes, luggage or infested pets. If a nearby house or flat is infested, the bed bugs can move through walls or false ceilings. Some animals, such as bats and birds, can also bring them into buildings. The source of infestations also includes eggs which may have been laid in the seams of clothing.

How Can I Detect Them?

Bed bugs are usually nocturnal so it can be difficult to spot them. They tend to nest in dark areas and often lay thousands of eggs in the seams of fabrics. Signs that you may have a bed-bug infestation include bites on the body, droppings similar in appearance to sand, spots of blood on bed sheets and patches of skin which they have shed (this is actually an exoskeleton which is moulted). Bed bugs have a characteristic smell of rotten raspberries. The most accurate way to find the exact location of an infestation is with a bed-bug-detection dog, which speeds up the process considerably

Why Are Infestations So Frequent?

Between the 1930s and 1980s, the rate of outbreaks fell dramatically. However, since the 1980s infestations have seen a sharp increase. It has been suggested that this is because of resistance to pesticides and an increase in international travel, which helps the insects spread. There are several different species of bed bug around the world, but it is the common bed bug which is most adapted to human environments.

How Can They Be Eradicated?

It is a good idea to call in a professional who is used to tackling bed-bug outbreaks. When it comes to pest control services Dublin residents have a range of companies to choose from. They tend to approach the issue with several different approaches at a time, using both pesticide and non-pesticide methods. The most effective seems to be a combination of heating and drying the affected area.

Amy Jones is a writer and blogger who is interested in various aspects and problems of living in the modern world. She wrote this article on behalf of Total Pest Control Services Dublin.

This Nation’s bedbug problem is real, and a growing area of concern in Las Vegas, NV. A consumer report, reported by ABC News earlier this year, ranks the city of Las Vegas as the 16th most infected bedbug city in the United States. The cities of Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, Denver, and Los Angeles make up the top five most infested cities in that order.

Bedbugs were thought to be a thing of the past, but now every state has had reports of the tiny pests. Since exterminators can no longer legally use the same pesticides they used in the 1950s to get rid of, they now must get creative to stop a bedbug epidemic. Here’s an informative graphic that helps us understand this growing epidemic even more:

For those of you concerned about bedbugs in one of the major Las Vegas hotels or resorts, rest easy. Many of the bedbug reports are coming from private residents. These resorts take great measures in assuring their rooms a bedbug free. If you are doing some traveling to Las Vegas in the near future, and are worried about the possibility of bringing bedbugs home with you, check out the website BedBugRegistry.com. The website allows you to check and see if your hotel has had any recent reported bedbug activity. Make sure to keep in mind that just because a hotel had a bedbug report once, it doesn’t mean it has a widespread problem. Also, understand that these are all personal reports by travelers and the ability to authenticate each and every account is impossible. What might be a harmless insect to a professional can be a bedbug to a worn out traveler.

If you are a Las Vegas resident, and suspect that you have brought bedbugs into your home, it’s best that you call a professional pest control company immediately. Bedbugs are very difficult to get rid of, and even scientists have discovered that the bugs are now more resistant to once effective pesticides.